Mary Gauthier "Drag Queens In Limousines"

On the plane from New Orleans to Nashville, and then heading to Bonnaroo today. Somehow in the last week, I have visited eleven states, and have spent time in some of my favorite cities. Yes, I am tired, but exhilarated too, as this kind of movement rocks me. 24 hours in New Orleans is always a good touchstone. The part of town I was staying in reminds me of where I live in Austin; the other side of the tracks, a dicey, transitioning area. We needed some extra hands, so I talked to the man working on the house next door. He said, "Hell, I wouldn't want to hire anyone from around here." OK! New Orleans is on the slow comeback. There are still totally blighted areas, but the charm and spirit of the people is immediately enticing. You feel that things are regarded differently, just from the comebacks you get when you greet someone.

We bring you a New Orleans refugee, Mary Gauthier, who is now a Nashville resident. And a wholly appropriate song from her, that captures a snapshot  of NOLA back when Mary lived there. We recorded it in September 2010 in Nashville at AmericanaFest. And while we are on the subject of Americana, make sure you pick up the latest issue of Spin, titled The New Americana Revolution. Here, here!

Mary is doing a bunch of touring this summer, here is a taste, "Drag Queens In Limousines."

-Jessie Scott

Over the Rhine "Oh Yeah By the Way"

This week, Music Fog will hit 4 million views on YouTube. We thank you for coming back to our site, and for sharing us with your friends and family. Running down some quick stats, the most recent million took less than three months. By comparison, the first million views were 18 months in the making. What does this all mean? I have no idea, but we know the seismic shift is underway, from old media to new, and we ride that wave wherever it is taking us.

When Music Fog started, it was to bring you Americana music, to forge out a spot for music discovery, to shine a light on worthy musicians, as well as to cast an eye on the superb technical skills and bedside manner of the Foggers. We are more accomplished now than when we started, and we stand at the ready to create documentaries, shows, DVDs, Pay Per View concerts, and live webcasts. This is the brave new world we are talking about, the new world order, and the past is crumbling. But the really good news about all this is that music is not dead, in fact it is just the opposite, there is so much great stuff out there that it is hard to keep up!

Today's video is an homage to love not working out. To write from the heart, to explore the nooks and crannies of emotion, and to lay bare the sorrow,the regret, the vulnerability.  We have moved on, but if only we could have done it differently, if, if, if...  All delivered with a delicious melancholy. Here is Over the Rhine from their most recent album, The Long Surrender, which was recorded with GRAMMY® winning producer, Joe Henry. This song, "Oh Yeah By The Way," was written by Linford Detweiler. Here is the Music Fog recording from Americana Fest in Nashville last September.

-- Jessie Scott

Freedom Sings

If you are in the Washington, DC area on April 27th, you might want to take part in a magical night; "Freedom Sings - A Celebration of Free Speech in Music" at 7:30pm in the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater at the Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC.

Mary Chapin Carpenter will receive the “Spirit of Americana” Free Speech in Music Award from the Newseum’s First Amendment Center and the Americana Music Association. "Freedom Sings” will include a conversation with Mary about her music and career, and will feature guest musical performances by Grammy Award-winning artists Judy Collins and Rodney Crowell.

This award recognizes artists who have used their work to raise awareness and promote free speech through their music and other efforts. Prior recipients include Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Joan Baez, Mavis Staples, Judy Collins, Charlie Daniels and Steve Earle. In the past it has been bestowed during the Americana Honors and Awards; this year marks a departure as it becomes a standalone event in a brand new place.

Tickets for the performance are $25 ($20 for Newseum and Americana Music Association members) and are on sale now at the Newseum website or at their ticket desk. Proceeds support First Amendment education and the work of the Americana Music Association.

Mary Chapin Carpenter is also releasing a new album that day, The Age Of Miracles, which she has been working on since 2007. The CD is a personal exploration of regret and resilience but also a larger, more universal expression of wonder at the times we are living in.

-Music Fog